Update from Ann

[Hendricks]

10 minutes ago, Cut The Crap said:

 

Agreed. There's little to be gained and quite a lot to lose by airing our dirty laundry in public in the way some people seem to expect. I trust that those in charge will have been privately reminded of their responsibilities in terms of on-field performance for next season.

 

What is there to lose?  

[Maple Leaf]

10 minutes ago, Cut The Crap said:

 

Agreed. There's little to be gained and quite a lot to lose by airing our dirty laundry in public in the way some people seem to expect. I trust that those in charge will have been privately reminded of their responsibilities in terms of on-field performance for next season.

 

That's right.  Nobody at HMFC is happy with the results on the field this season, and that is apparent in Ann Budge's comments.  But there is no value in putting a statement on the internet using strong language or hyperbolic phrases.  She's aware of the failures.  Craig Levein is aware of the failures.  They're both committed to fixing them for next season.  I don't know what else needs to be said.

[Hendricks]

Just now, Ryder said:

 

Frankly, you are a bit of a sweetie-wife who expects far more than you are entitled to.

 

 

Thats your opinion. I stand by my point with regards the reason for her statement ie the selling of season tickets, that there will need to be a far clearer and more positive message re the first team if she hopes to shift anything like the number of season tickets she did last. Already given the pricing hikes for some, especially those with kids of a certain age, there are indications of people picking and choosing games. Add those who are going to wait and see exactly how Levein overhauls the squad throughout the summer and I would suggest she needs to be a bit less disingenuous with regards her comments about on the field matters. We’ll see how her statements evolve....

[Beast Boy]

2 minutes ago, Hendricks said:

 

 

Thats your opinion. I stand by my point with regards the reason for her statement ie the selling of season tickets, that there will need to be a far clearer and more positive message re the first team if she hopes to shift anything like the number of season tickets she did last. Already given the pricing hikes for some, especially those with kids of a certain age, there are indications of people picking and choosing games. Add those who are going to wait and see exactly how Levein overhauls the squad throughout the summer and I would suggest she needs to be a bit less disingenuous with regards her comments about on the field matters. We’ll see how her statements evolve....

 

I just seriously doubt you put in enough to deserve the level of fluffing and foot massaging you seem to feel entitled to. Sorry. ?

[davemclaren]

1 hour ago, Francis Albert said:

Understood but 6% would still give a bit of a risk premium compared to not much more than 1% from banks. And while I am generally extremely risk averse I feel that I know this particular business well enough to assess the risk over the short term at least as pretty low. And it didn't put people off the 500 club idea before, when the business was perhaps a little less transparent.

Agreed. 

[Hendricks]

4 minutes ago, Ryder said:

 

I just seriously doubt you put in enough to deserve the level of fluffing and foot massaging you seem to feel entitled to. Sorry. ?

 

You have it all wrong. No statement Budge makes will impact my contributions. My comments are because I want to see people tempted to buy ST’s due to the likelihood of the first team being a damn sight better than it was this. In my opinion her statement today does little to give any confidence in that. I already think there will be a drop off in ST sales and without a far clearer message as to how we are going to be significantly more competitive and better to watch then she risks people picking and choosing games and not buying soon as she is requesting! I get she need sell nothing to you, you will remain on the happy (or at least content!) train regardless but my point is that there are a decent number not sitting comfortably on it and some who have possibly jumped off altogether in terms of renewals. It’s them she needs to be selling a message to not you! 

[McCrae]

1 hour ago, Hendricks said:

Predicted in another thread last week that we’d be hearing from Budge shortly and this would be the exact tone of the communication. As always I’m glad of her impact and influence in terms of building the infrastructure off the park. There is no doubting the huge progress on a number of fronts and unlike her Head Coach there appears to be a taking of accountability and responsibility when things go wrong. Far less enamored by the frankly blasé sweeping under the carpet of another dire first team season whilst at the same time begging for further “backing”. Other than leaning on the academy for success there is precious little in the statement that provides confidence that the footballing side of the club will be any better in 2018-19!  She should be delivering a positive message loud and clear on that front if she wants a high % of ST renewals as it’s a better team that will see her receive continued financial support from some. 

 

You are not even subtle with your anti CL agenda.

[Hendricks]

1 minute ago, McCrae said:

 

You are not even subtle with your anti CL agenda.

 

 

i) I’m not trying to be subtle in any comments about Levein’s lack of accountability or responsibility taking for where our first team is. 

ii) I have no agenda.

 

[Coco]

There is an awful lot of expectation or hope that the youth academy will be better than the past.  No sign yet that the young players being brought through are better than Gordon, Berra, Paterson or Walker though most this season have performed well.  A performance school will be a very low percentage way to get to a successful first team.  Nor is there any real evidence of a youth policy creating a sustainable high quality first team.  The best players will be picked off well before that.

[McCrae]

9 minutes ago, Coco said:

There is an awful lot of expectation or hope that the youth academy will be better than the past.  No sign yet that the young players being brought through are better than Gordon, Berra, Paterson or Walker though most this season have performed well.  A performance school will be a very low percentage way to get to a successful first team.  Nor is there any real evidence of a youth policy creating a sustainable high quality first team.  The best players will be picked off well before that.

 

This is a very good point.  If we have 2 good players come through a season that have any sort of transfer value we will be doing well.

[johnking123]

Think we will find it hard not to sell Cochrane. Think we will have few English teams in for him.

[Pasquale for King]

Quite an uplifting read and gives a negative moaning ******* like me a reminder why we support our club.

[thewiseone]

Feeling a bit disconnected currently to be honest.

The business named Heart of Midlothian seems to be doing well, plenty of positive news and information to digest. It's a great art being able to articulate such positivity, however there is a chunk of me which isn't seeing or feeling this vibe whole heartedly. 

Continuing to blindly follow regardless becomes increasingly difficult and I don't think I will be the only one. 

 

[Francis Albert]

1 hour ago, JamboAl said:

Oh dear.  The 500 club and 6% loans.

A woman who been successful in business life and probably worth millions and you're telling her what she should do.

The tone of her statement suggests she is extremely keen NOT to take on unmanageable debt and this is further evidenced by her request to fans to buy their ST early which suggests she only wants to spend money that she is certain of rather than hoping it might come.  Whether this early money will be used to enhance the pitch, be applied to stand costs or even get in new players I don't know, but it definitely looks to me that she wants to hand the club over to FoH with no debt or as little as possible.

I'll match your "oh dear" and raise you an "oh dear".

I was commenting on a message board not telling her what to do.

The 6% interest on Ann's original loan is remarkably close to the effective interest rate in the original 500 schemes so on the face of it not outrageously costly in terms of funding my guess at the incremental cost of half a million to fund a hybrid pitch.

Personally, and it is just my opinion, I would prefer Ann to hand over the club with modest and manageable debt, having made sensible investments. and be growing and successful rather than completely debt free and struggling with declining crowds and on field performances.  That is a judgement to be made and Ann will make  it. It is perfectly reasonable to discuss it on a message board.

 

[We_are_the_Hearts]

9 minutes ago, thewiseone said:

Feeling a bit disconnected currently to be honest.

The business named Heart of Midlothian seems to be doing well, plenty of positive news and information to digest. It's a great art being able to articulate such positivity, however there is a chunk of me which isn't seeing or feeling this vibe whole heartedly. 

Continuing to blindly follow regardless becomes increasingly difficult and I don't think I will be the only one. 

 

This is where I am at

[Francis Albert]

1 hour ago, graygo said:

 

Would the setup and admin costs not make this an unattractive way to borrow money for the club?

 

I know it's been done before.

I don't know. Depends on the alternatives.  I suspect the set up and admin costs would not be disproportionate to the large set up and admin costs associated with Ann's £2.4m loan which FoH paid for. And since it would be simpler than a loan such as Ann's (which was and is fully secured by club assets,  and on the contrary would as Dave M has pointed out not be secured at all)  I would expect them to be significantly lower.

[Thomaso]

13 minutes ago, Francis Albert said:

I'll match your "oh dear" and raise you an "oh dear".

I was commenting on a message board not telling her what to do.

The 6% interest on Ann's original loan is remarkably close to the effective interest rate in the original 500 schemes so on the face of it not outrageously costly in terms of funding my guess at the incremental cost of half a million to fund a hybrid pitch.

Personally, and it is just my opinion, I would prefer Ann to hand over the club with modest and manageable debt, having made sensible investments. and be growing and successful rather than completely debt free and struggling with declining crowds and on field performances.  That is a judgement to be made and Ann will make  it. It is perfectly reasonable to discuss it on a message board.

 

 

Well said FA.

[May one-six]

58 minutes ago, Coco said:

There is an awful lot of expectation or hope that the youth academy will be better than the past.  No sign yet that the young players being brought through are better than Gordon, Berra, Paterson or Walker though most this season have performed well.  A performance school will be a very low percentage way to get to a successful first team.  Nor is there any real evidence of a youth policy creating a sustainable high quality first team.  The best players will be picked off well before that.

To some extent this is where I'm at. It seems impractical for us to be depending on the success of the academy to generate success for the first team. If Harry Cochrane, Anthony Macdonald etc are as good as we hope they'll be picked off by richer clubs before they've had any chance to make a meaningful contribution to our cause. It seems to me that the best way for us to go is to follow the McInnes model at Aberdeen. He picks up players who have already proved that they are capable of doing well at Premier League level and are at an age where they are physically able to compete. I'd say we should be looking to have a team where at least eight players are aged over 20. Can't believe I'm saying cos I hate the posts that advise youngsters to 'bulk up'. However, the Scottish game is fast and physical. Put simply, we'll be bullied by the likes of Motherwell and the vermin if we're too lightweight. 

[Hendricks]

18 minutes ago, Francis Albert said:

 

Personally, and it is just my opinion, I would prefer Ann to hand over the club with modest and manageable debt, having made sensible investments. and be growing and successful rather than completely debt free and struggling with declining crowds and on field performances.  That is a judgement to be made and Ann will make  it. It is perfectly reasonable to discuss it on a message board.

 

 

 

Good post, there is very definitely the need for ensuring there is a balance here. Whilst I accept there needs to be prudent financial planning in terms of the first team budget (and way better use of that budget than there has been) there is absolutely no point in being so frugal that it is only the infrastructure and the stadium that is improving!  Down the line we all hope those improvements will pay greater dividends but its also in the here and now that we need to see a distinctly better team on the park so we are not reading about how fans are not renewing ST's or how kids don't want to go (given they are the next generation of our fanbase) etc. That's why I'm disappointed Budge has not been more bullish re the footballing side of things in her statement. To me it doesn't read as though there is enough emphasis on the most important part of the club, the first team, and whilst undoubtably growing the infrastructure she needs to ensure she doesn't lose sight of the impacts that having a very mediocre team on it can also have off the pitch right now. Lose support whilst these things are being put in place and it will just to lead to a long process of getting them back again. Its going to be a very interesting summer.

[socrates82]

58 minutes ago, thewiseone said:

Feeling a bit disconnected currently to be honest.

The business named Heart of Midlothian seems to be doing well, plenty of positive news and information to digest. It's a great art being able to articulate such positivity, however there is a chunk of me which isn't seeing or feeling this vibe whole heartedly. 

Continuing to blindly follow regardless becomes increasingly difficult and I don't think I will be the only one. 

 

 

Putting cynicism to one side and accepting that everyone posting on here is an actual Hearts fan (not true as we all know), I just can't identify with this "Continuing to blindly follow". Isn't that what being a football fan is? It's like I don't get it when folk say "take off the maroon tinted specs". Why? Hearts fans obviously wear maroon tinted specs. It's weird. Go to a game or don't. But this thing of having digs at your own club day after day is weird, never mind booing, hiring planes, asking for the manager's head after every derby defeat. Weird. Next season will be the first since Neilson's second season, which went well on the whole, that we have had some stability on the playing side of things.

 

[Beast Boy]

Absolutely loving Hendricks and Albert providing their world-leading business acumen and wisdom here. Imagine how lost we would all be without them. 

 

[socrates82]

23 minutes ago, Hendricks said:

 

 

Good post, there is very definitely the need for ensuring there is a balance here. Whilst I accept there needs to be prudent financial planning in terms of the first team budget (and way better use of that budget than there has been) there is absolutely no point in being so frugal that it is only the infrastructure and the stadium that is improving!  Down the line we all hope those improvements will pay greater dividends but its also in the here and now that we need to see a distinctly better team on the park so we are not reading about how fans are not renewing ST's or how kids don't want to go (given they are the next generation of our fanbase) etc. That's why I'm disappointed Budge has not been more bullish re the footballing side of things in her statement. To me it doesn't read as though there is enough emphasis on the most important part of the club, the first team, and whilst undoubtably growing the infrastructure she needs to ensure she doesn't lose sight of the impacts that having a very mediocre team on it can also have off the pitch right now. Lose support whilst these things are being put in place and it will just to lead to a long process of getting them back again. Its going to be a very interesting summer.

 

This is what people said last summer and the one before. The stuff about ST holders not renewing is bunkum. Sales will go up and down, but contrary to the Kickback "experts" they have been going up even when the team is pretty rubbish.

[Victorian]

I'm not going to read anything but instead assume that all of the bad things are a clear sign of an institutionalised shambles and all of the good things just happen,  despite the shambles.

 

Amirite?

 

[Hendricks]

3 minutes ago, socrates82 said:

 

This is what people said last summer and the one before. The stuff about ST holders not renewing is bunkum. Sales will go up and down, but contrary to the Kickback "experts" they have been going up even when the team is pretty rubbish.

 

We'll see. There is no real need to buy a ST as there is plenty capacity. That might not be the case with a good Hearts side running out every week but people know they can easily pick and choose games whilst that isn't the case There also appears to be some chatter about the increase in prices meaning that the same policy will apply, namely see whats going on with the team and pick and choose. Too early to tell but my current prediction is that she will do very well indeed to match last seasons totals. 

[Thomaso]

3 minutes ago, Ryder said:

Absolutely loving Hendricks and Albert providing their world-leading business acumen and wisdom here. Imagine how lost we would all be without them. 

 

 

I don't think for a minute that they are putting themselves forward as "world leading" businessmen.  They are putting forward their football opinions on a football forum, that in their last posts IMO have been pretty well thought through, and stated concisely.

 

You might not agree with their opinions, and you are entitled to do so, however this continual sarcastic and personally insulting stuff is really not necessary Ryder.

[JamboAl]

1 hour ago, Pasquale for King said:

Quite an uplifting read and gives a negative moaning ******* like me a reminder why we support our club.

I agree with you.

[graygo]

55 minutes ago, Francis Albert said:

I don't know. Depends on the alternatives.  I suspect the set up and admin costs would not be disproportionate to the large set up and admin costs associated with Ann's £2.4m loan which FoH paid for. And since it would be simpler than a loan such as Ann's (which was and is fully secured by club assets,  and on the contrary would as Dave M has pointed out not be secured at all)  I would expect them to be significantly lower.

 

Thanks for the reply FA.

 

That's one hell of a jump though from "I don't know. Depends on the alternatives"  to  "I would expect them to be significantly lower"

[Beast Boy]

Just now, JamboAl said:

I agree with you.

This

[Francis Albert]

11 minutes ago, Ryder said:

Absolutely loving Hendricks and Albert providing their world-leading business acumen and wisdom here. Imagine how lost we would all be without them. 

 

Posters who have the skill to replicate a wee figure rolling on the floor laughing on the other hand always add to the discussion.

[mitch41]

3 hours ago, McCrae said:

 

If we had our strongest 11 available on a consistent basis... I think we would have beaten Motherwell and finished above Killie.  We have been very unlucky with injuries this year. 

Every club has injuries.

[sairyinthat]

3 hours ago, Hendricks said:

Predicted in another thread last week that we’d be hearing from Budge shortly and this would be the exact tone of the communication. As always I’m glad of her impact and influence in terms of building the infrastructure off the park. There is no doubting the huge progress on a number of fronts and unlike her Head Coach there appears to be a taking of accountability and responsibility when things go wrong. Far less enamored by the frankly blasé sweeping under the carpet of another dire first team season whilst at the same time begging for further “backing”. Other than leaning on the academy for success there is precious little in the statement that provides confidence that the footballing side of the club will be any better in 2018-19!  She should be delivering a positive message loud and clear on that front if she wants a high % of ST renewals as it’s a better team that will see her receive continued financial support from some. 

Are you telling us she released that statement without running it by you first?Well  how ungratefull is that.

[Bull's-eye]

Just now, Ryder said:

This

 

Excuse me..... but could you desist from sarcastically and personally insulting forum members and get back to wiring into the club's staff and players please. Cheers.

[socrates82]

2 minutes ago, mitch41 said:

Every club has injuries.

 

Not to key players the way we have this season. 

[Hendricks]

1 minute ago, sairyinthat said:

Are you telling us she released that statement without running it by you first?Well  how ungratefull is that.

 

 

Nope but she'd be better off by doing so  

[socrates82]

8 minutes ago, Hendricks said:

 

We'll see. There is no real need to buy a ST as there is plenty capacity. That might not be the case with a good Hearts side running out every week but people know they can easily pick and choose games whilst that isn't the case There also appears to be some chatter about the increase in prices meaning that the same policy will apply, namely see whats going on with the team and pick and choose. Too early to tell but my current prediction is that she will do very well indeed to match last seasons totals. 

 

Yes well the doom mongers have been telling us support will decline and FoH subs will reduce for years now. Why they bother is beyond me.

[JamboAl]

1 hour ago, Francis Albert said:

I'll match your "oh dear" and raise you an "oh dear".

I was commenting on a message board not telling her what to do.

The 6% interest on Ann's original loan is remarkably close to the effective interest rate in the original 500 schemes so on the face of it not outrageously costly in terms of funding my guess at the incremental cost of half a million to fund a hybrid pitch.

Personally, and it is just my opinion, I would prefer Ann to hand over the club with modest and manageable debt, having made sensible investments. and be growing and successful rather than completely debt free and struggling with declining crowds and on field performances.  That is a judgement to be made and Ann will make  it. It is perfectly reasonable to discuss it on a message board.

 

At least wait and see what the ST take up is before you start wearing your black tie.

PS - I don't think AB cares a fig what you want. I'll just say this FA.  I think you're getting too embroiled in things you know FA about.  Leave it to Dr Budge.  I think she's got a good idea what she's about.

[Beast Boy]

15 minutes ago, Victorian said:

I'm not going to read anything but instead assume that all of the bad things are a clear sign of an institutionalised shambles and all of the good things just happen,  despite the shambles.

 

Amirite?

 

 

Shambles mate. Thankfully, however... we have the JKB equivalent of PJ Masks here to keep us all on the negative path of righteousness. 

 

 

[Hendricks]

5 minutes ago, socrates82 said:

 

Yes well the doom mongers have been telling us support will decline and FoH subs will reduce for years now. Why they bother is beyond me.

 

 

Maybe its so you can get your kicks coming along and telling the "doom mongers" they are talking nonsense. Support is clearly declining in the stadium over the last couple of months, even Stevie Wonder can see how many empty seats there have been. Or do you want to argue that too?!!!   Whether that translates into a poorer uptake in tickets for next season is open to debate right now, it will only be proven or otherwise come the start of next season.

[Thomaso]

8 minutes ago, Francis Albert said:

Posters who have the skill to replicate a wee figure rolling on the floor laughing on the other hand always add to the discussion.

 

Nailed it FA

[socrates82]

1 minute ago, Hendricks said:

 

 

Maybe its so you can get your kicks coming along and telling the "doom mongers" they are talking nonsense. Support is clearly declining in the stadium over the last couple of months, even Stevie Wonder can see how many empty seats there have been. Or do you want to argue that too?!!!   Whether that translates into a poorer uptake in tickets for next season his open to debate right now, it will only be proven or otherwise come the start of next season.

 

Why bother though? Waste of breath and typing. Our support fluctuates every year. Poor seasons always see lower crowds. And if you've been following Hearts for very long you'll know that poor seasons don't necessarily follow poor seasons. The opposite is often true in fact. 

[McCrae]

13 minutes ago, mitch41 said:

Every club has injuries.

 

Of course, but we have had far more than normal. 

[sinbad]

Re the pitch. At the foh pitch ceremony on Sunday Ann mentioned that the hybrid is the best , preferred option but also the most expensive. They have a tender meeting Thursday to go over the options, and if they can work out the funding and justify it, that’s what it will be. 3rd floor and dressing rooms won’t be in use / ready till Christmas at the earliest. 

 

[ford donald]

27 minutes ago, Thomaso said:

 

I don't think for a minute that they are putting themselves forward as "world leading" businessmen.  They are putting forward their football opinions on a football forum, that in their last posts IMO have been pretty well thought through, and stated concisely.

 

You might not agree with their opinions, and you are entitled to do so, however this continual sarcastic and personally insulting stuff is really not necessary Ryder.

[Hendricks]

1 minute ago, socrates82 said:

 

Why bother though? Waste of breath and typing. Our support fluctuates every year. Poor seasons always see lower crowds. And if you've been following Hearts for very long you'll know that poor seasons don't necessarily follow poor seasons. The opposite is often true in fact. 

 

 

It may be your personality type to sweep everything under the carpet and pretend everything is rosy in the Jambo garden but some of us like to debate what could be done to improve our lot. If you don't like it, don't read it, nobody is forcing you to do so!  My main point with regards Budge's statement today is that she can't afford a further "poor season", not after this dismal one so her message with regards the team has to be a whole lot more decisive and upbeat and positive than today's was. Great stuff as usual about off field progress, a big fat MEH with regards to on it!  And especially on a day, only two thirds of the way through March   she is asking our fanbase to come up with the readies and "back" her again.

 

My message would be, tell us about what your man proposes to do about the crap overall squad , tell us how he will be very active in getting pre contracts signed, tell us that he will have 3 or 4 senior strikers and replace (if necessary) our quality keeper and left back and bring in some genuine attacking quality in midfield, tell us how we are not at all happy at our failure to get to Cup semi's and finals and that it is something we are going to collectively prioritize, tell us that whilst we are excited about the youth system we owe our support to have a win now mentality too and that 10 league wins in 31 is simply not good enough for a club of our stature etc etc etc. There is plenty Budge could be saying about the football side of the club that would buy her significant grace and probably a good deal more cash in the coffers if she chose to do do. Instead those of us sceptical she has a clue what she's doing about the football side of the club are left thinking there's no urgency there and Levein is doing whatever the hell he likes under no pressure whatsoever. 

[redtipsjambo]

2 hours ago, Deans Jambo said:

No mention of switching the changing rooms back to the main stand. 

She mentioned on Sunday at Foh plot day that moving changing rooms back was not a priority because the facilities under wheatfield were perfectly good and that at the minute money could be better spent else where.

 

Also mentioned the pitch and that they were looking at tenders and to get something like Murrayfield ( desso ) was about a million.

[Notts1874]

Some folk really are persistent.

[Thomaso]

1 minute ago, redtipsjambo said:

She mentioned on Sunday at Foh plot day that moving changing rooms back was not a priority because the facilities under wheatfield were perfectly good and that at the minute money could be better spent else where.

 

Also mentioned the pitch and that they were looking at tenders and to get something like Murrayfield ( desso ) was about a million.

 

I was guest of the match sponsor, and had a stadium tour before the game on Saturday - both dressing rooms are large and well fitted out

[Son Of Anarchy]

Same posters same pish ?

Had a missed call from Ann so think she tried to run the statement past me before release but tbh think she did ok on her own ?

[Bull's-eye]

5 minutes ago, Hendricks said:

 

 

It may be your personality type to sweep everything under the carpet and pretend everything is rosy in the Jambo garden but some of us like to debate what could be done to improve our lot. If you don't like it, don't read it, nobody is forcing you to do so!  My main point with regards Budge's statement today is that she can't afford a further "poor season", not after this dismal one so her message with regards the team has to be a whole lot more decisive and upbeat and positive than today's was. Great stuff as usual about off6 field progress, a big fat MEH with regards to on it!  And especially on a day, only two thirds of the way through March   she is asking our fanbase to come up with the readies and "back" her again.

 

My message would be, tell us about what your man proposes to do about the crap overall squad , tell us how he will be very active in getting pre contracts signed, tell us that he will have 3 or 4 senior strikers and replace (if necessary) our quality keeper and left back and bring in some genuine attacking quality in midfield, tell us how we are not at all happy at our failure to get to Cup semi's and finals and that it is something we are going to collectively prioritize, tell us that whilst we are excited about the youth system we owe our support to have a win now mentality too and that 10 league wins in 31 is simply not good enough for a club of our stature etc etc etc. There is plenty Budge could be saying about the football side of the club that would buy her significant grace and probably a good deal more cash in the coffers if she chose to do do. Instead those of us sceptical she has a clue what she's doing about the football side of the club are left thinking there's no urgency there and Levein is doing whatever the hell he likes under no pressure whatsoever. 

 

Everything is Rosy in the Jambo Garden.

The club is moving forward at a fantastic rate and will be supporter owned in 2 years. That timeline I imagine is the time remaining for the complete stadium regeneration and Mrs Budge will hand over a club in a wonderful state that the majority in Scottish football will be extremely jealous off.

A youth program that is already bearing fruit and personally I can't think of much better than watching young men coming through our system making it into the 1st team and performing.

 

Happy days.

[@VladMagic]

16 minutes ago, Hendricks said:

 

 

It may be your personality type to sweep everything under the carpet and pretend everything is rosy in the Jambo garden but some of us like to debate what could be done to improve our lot. If you don't like it, don't read it, nobody is forcing you to do so!  My main point with regards Budge's statement today is that she can't afford a further "poor season", not after this dismal one so her message with regards the team has to be a whole lot more decisive and upbeat and positive than today's was. Great stuff as usual about off field progress, a big fat MEH with regards to on it!  And especially on a day, only two thirds of the way through March   she is asking our fanbase to come up with the readies and "back" her again.

 

My message would be, tell us about what your man proposes to do about the crap overall squad , tell us how he will be very active in getting pre contracts signed, tell us that he will have 3 or 4 senior strikers and replace (if necessary) our quality keeper and left back and bring in some genuine attacking quality in midfield, tell us how we are not at all happy at our failure to get to Cup semi's and finals and that it is something we are going to collectively prioritize, tell us that whilst we are excited about the youth system we owe our support to have a win now mentality too and that 10 league wins in 31 is simply not good enough for a club of our stature etc etc etc. There is plenty Budge could be saying about the football side of the club that would buy her significant grace and probably a good deal more cash in the coffers if she chose to do do. Instead those of us sceptical she has a clue what she's doing about the football side of the club are left thinking there's no urgency there and Levein is doing whatever the hell he likes under no pressure whatsoever. 

 

I want, I want, I want.

 

I want it now.

 

Here's yer teddy back.